Smart Coatings: Development of Antioxidant Edible Films Based on Sodium Caseinate and Hydroxytyrosol

PELTZER, MERCEDES A.; ARRIETA, MARINA P.

How Smart are the Polymers?

Nova Science Publishers

Lugar: New York; Año: 2018;

The increasing production of biobased and biodegradable polymers provide to the food industry the opportunity to offer alternative solutions with lower environmental impact. Among the available biopolymers, caseinates show excellent edible film formability, the ability to form thin and flexible layers interesting for edible coating systems. Hydroxytyrosol (HT) is a natural antioxidant occurring in olives and mostly recovered from residues of olive oil production. However, many authors suggested that is also available in olive oil. The HT is an ortho-diphenol with a marked antioxidant activity related to the electron donating ability of hydroxyl groups in the ortho position and subsequent formation of stable intramolecular hydrogen bonds with the phenoxylic radical. This chapter begins with generalities regarding the interest of smart materials in the food packaging field, focusing the attention on antioxidant active packaging systems as well as the interest on the use edible active coatings for these applications. The most important results regarding a full characterization of the obtained active films in terms of visual, structural, thermal, mechanical and barrier properties; together with the evaluation of the antioxidant properties of the developed films are described throughout this chapter and it was possible to conclude that the systems is a good alternative to avoid or retard foodstuff oxidation and though increase food shelf life.